Journalists Killed in 2005 - Motive Confirmed: Sheikh Belaluddin

Sangram
February 11, 2005, in Khulna, Bangladesh

Belaluddin, a correspondent with the conservative Bengali daily Sangram, died of injuries sustained in a bomb attack six days earlier. The device exploded at around 9:15 p.m. outside the press club in the southwestern city of Khulna. The bomb, hidden in a bag hanging from a motorcycle, detonated as Belaluddin approached the vehicle.

Three other journalists were hurt, but their injuries were not life-threatening. On February 8, three days after the blast, Khulna journalists observed a news blackout and formed a human chain at the press club to protest the bombing. Across the country, journalists took to the streets to condemn the attack, demanding that authorities find and punish those responsible.

After Belaluddin died, editors from across the political spectrum formed a group called the Forum to Protect Journalists. The group rallied in the capital, marched to the National Press Club, and called for justice in the murders of journalists.

In July, a former leader of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the Islamic fundamentalist political party Jamaat-i-Islami's student wing, confessed to taking part in the deadly bombing. Just three weeks later, though, the suspect was freed on bail.